Spring needle knitting machines



Oct. 29, 1968 D. P. MOORE SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 12, 1966 M W IN VENTOR United States Patent Oflice 3,407,630 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 3,407,630 SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING MACHINES David Pelton Moore, Marlow, NH. (9210 Flower Ave., Silver Spring, Md. 20901) Filed Aug. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 572,039 6 Claims. (Cl. 66-114) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spring needle knitting machine wherein the needle cylinder is composed of a plurality of identical interlocking segments.

My present invention relates to improvements in needle cylinders for spring needle knitting machines of the type illustrated in United States Patent No. 795,179 to Tompkins, and more particularly to the cylinder thereof.

It is current practice to manufacture carpeting on a Tompkins spring needle knitting machine. Separate needle cylinders are needed for each width, common widths being 9, 12, and 15 feet. Prior methods of making the needle cylinders required a separate pattern for each size. A metal casting was made from the pattern and the needle carrying surfaces ground and polished with an expensive grinding and polishing machine capable of handling the complete cylinder. A diiferent grinding and polishing machine has been required for each different size of needle cylinder that is provided.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a needle cylinder in a Tompkins spring needle knitting machine in which the needle-carrying circular or ring member thereof is made up of arcuate segments.

In accordance with the present invention, a plan view of the selected cylinder size is drawn to full scale and the circumference then divided into segments that are preferably of equal size. If the hub of the sylinder has six spokes, it is convenient to make six identical segments. On large sizes, twelve segments could be provided with one group of six segments having spokes and another group of six segments not having spokes. Then a single pattern can be made just for each different type of segment. Normally only one pattern would be required. This pattern can be used to produce the proper number of segments. Each segment may be ground and polished as before, but now only one grinding and polishing machine is required. A large range of different sizes of needle cylinder segments can be processed with this one grinding and polishing machine, and spare segments can be stored for easy replacement when needed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and its advantages appreciated, attention is invited to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a spring needle knitting machine cylinder embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of one segment thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a view of this segment taken from the inside.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on line 44 of FIG- URE 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the hub of the knitting cylinder of a spring needle knitting machine, having cast therewith the stubs 2 that form the spokes 3 of the cylinder, the ends 5 being so provided as to permit the stubs 6, carried by the arcuate segments 7, of the cylinder, and which arcuate segments constitute when secured together a complete ring for holding the needles and other necessary equipment.

Each arcuate segment as here shown, is provided with the central or tongue-like projection 8 at one end, a groove or slot formed by two spaced projections 9 at the other end, and each is provided with one or two boot or screw receiving openings 10 and 11, for the bolts 12. By this means, the segments may be fitted together to form the complete ring, While the attaching member thereof is connected by bolts 13 to the hub partial spoke.

The diameter of needle cylinders may range from about 16 inches upwardly to inches for making floor coverings. To produce the new needle cylinder of the present invention, a full scale drawing is made of the cylinder, and then it is divided into eighths, sixths, or fourths, and then from one segment thus drawn, the proper pattern of wood or metal, for example, is made. Then this pattern is employed to have cast the required number of segments to form the complete cylinder. The segments, one at a time, are now machined and polished, then fitted together to form the complete hub, spokes and cylinder.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be seen that instead of making a pattern for a complete cylinder, that a pattern for the selected segment is all that is necessary to be made, and that therefore, the machinery cost is reduced, and a cylinder of any selected diameter can be made at a lower cost, and easily repaired, should one or more segments need to be replaced. Also, in some cases, some of the segments will not have the spoke stub, but can complete the cylinder, by being connected to the spoke carrying segments to complete the cylinder.

What I claim as new is:

1. A spring needle knitting machine needle cylinder comprising a central supporting member, an annular member composed of a plurality of arcuate segments connected to form a cylinder, and means connecting certain of the segments to the central supporting member.

2. A spring needle cylinder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting member is a hub having a plurality of stub-spokes and wherein the arcuate segments have an inwardly projecting stub for engaging said respective stub spokes.

3. A spring needle cylinder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arcuate segments have interlocking terminals for engagement with one another ad seriatum.

4. A cylinder for a spring needle knitting machine comprising a wheel-like member having a periphery which is divided into a plurality of separate arcuately shaped segments for the reception of needles, each of said segments being provided with projections on their ends to interengage in a tongue and groove manner, means for locking said interengaging projections together, and means for mounting said wall-like member about a rotatable supporting member.

5. A cylinder as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rotatable supporting member is provided with outwardly extending stub shafts and certain of the arcuate segments are provided with companion inwardly extending stub shafts that engage with and are secured to the stub shafts of the rotatable supporting member.

6. A needle cylinder for spring needle knitting machines, comprising a hub, a plurality of outwardly extending stub shafts carried by said hub, a needle carrying circular member composed of a plurality of identical arcuate segments each having interengaging ends and short in- Wardly projecting stub shafts, means for interlocking the stub shafts on the segments to the stub shafts of the hub, and means for securing the interengaging segment ends together to form a complete spring needle carrying cylinder.

(References on following page) 3 4 References Cited 795,179 7/ 1905 Tompkins 66114 1,824,260 9/1931 Cohen 66-79 UNITED STATES PATENTS 99 3 82 1 93 Gcrmly MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 604,440 5/ 1898 Vermilyea 661 14 5 R. FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

